Search form

Professional Reliance Review Released

Publish date: Friday, June 29, 2018

GLP - Government Licensed Professionals

Oil & Gas Commission

Today, the BC Government released the Professional Reliance Review. You can read it at EngageBC.

We have been advocating for changes to professional reliance for years. Independent, licensed professionals working for the BC public service are vital to effective natural resource development and environmental protection oversight.

The two main recommendations of the review are:

That government establish an Office of Professional Regulation and Oversight.

That government standardize 10 elements of professional governance through umbrella legislation.

Recommendation 34 in the report calls on the government to identify opportunities to improve Ministry staffing levels and resources to enhance government oversight. The report emphasizes “In the course of the review it became very clear that staffing levels due to past cuts make it very difficult for some ministries, or some business areas within ministries, to meet basic levels of oversight.” The report also addresses the need for government to become a knowledgeable owner.

Thank you to all of the PEA members who assisted in raising awareness of this issue and for sharing your own stories from the workplace. I look forward to the positive changes resulting from this report.

In this section

The PEA was formed in 1974, by a group of professionals working in the public sector. The story goes that the founders of the union mortgaged their houses to fund negotiations of the union’s first collective agreement.

Our union is led by the PEA Executive. They represent members from across the chapters of the PEA and set the overall vision and direction for our union.

Resources for our members

Navigating a union can sometime be a challenging process. Under this section of the website you will find resources to help you navigate the PEA. In the members section you'll find expense claim reimbursements, information on the PEA's scholarship and bursary program and our grants and donations program.

Collective bargaining and job action resources explain the process of collective bargaining and what to do in the unlikely event of job action.

Local reps can also find resources to help them complete their job more effectively. This includes ways to welcome new members, how to take notes in investigation disciplinary meetings and more.

The heart of our union

The PEA is made up of nine chapters, or groups of members who either work for the same employer or are in the same field of work. Each chapter has an elected executive tasked with running the affairs of the chapter. Each chapter is entitled to representation at the PEA Executive, the governing body of the union.

Our members work for a range of employers: the Province of BC, the University of Victoria, St. Margaret's School, the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program, the Oil and Gas Commission, the Law Society of BC, Legal Services Society, the Okangan Regional Library and health authorities across BC.

Professionals need unions now more then ever

Since the 1970’s, when the PEA was formed, our mission has been to ensure our members can work in safe, productive environments and receive fair and reasonable wages and benefits for the valuable work they do. We help individuals and groups of professional workers to understand the challenges they face in their workplaces and some of the solutions available to them.

We work with potential members to become certified as a union and achieve the wages, benefits and respect they deserve.

The Professional | Volume 45 Issue 1

The Professional is the PEA's award-winning, quarterly magazine for members.

The January/February 2019 issue includes a profile of SMS member Bev Waterfield